retail

JC Penney's begging ad criticizes former Apple exec

It wasn't us, it was him.

Yes, that man with the weird ideas we hired from Apple. He made us do all those things that drove our customers away in droves.

So now that he's gone, please come back. We beg you. We'll be the old JC Penney. The one you all loved.

Although maybe you didn't all love it enough to keep shopping there, which is why we hired the man with weird ideas from Apple.

But we were wrong. You were right. Well, many of you. We think.

This seems largely the subtext of a new ad released by JC Penney.… Read more

eBay, retail partner to open NY shop with touch-screen window

NEW YORK--eBay is working with Kate Spade on a pop-up shop in New York that will feature a digital touch-screen storefront window, the e-commerce and digital payments giant said Tuesday.

CEO John Donahoe, speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York earlier today, said the store will launch this summer and will allow eBay to reach consumers away from its traditional Web site. Donahoe at the time did not name the retailer.

An eBay spokesperson later told CNET that Kate Spade Saturday will be the partner for the pop-up shop. The spokesperson didn't provide other details about the … Read more

Apple to open first Berlin store on May 3

Apple's plans to increase the number of retail stores it operates around the world are in full swing in Germany.

The company posted to its German site today that its first store in Berlin will officially open its doors on May 3. Oddly, Apple will open the store at 5 p.m. local time, rather than in the morning, as it has in previous store openings.

The Berlin Apple Store will be open from 10 a.m. local time to 8 p.m. local time Monday through Saturday. It'll be closed on Sunday.

(Via 9to5 Mac)

LG to expand retail stores in emerging markets, WSJ says

Samsung's not the only Korean electronics company expanding its retail footprint. LG also plans to open more stores this year, according to a news report.

LG intends to increase the number of its retail stores in emerging markets to boost its market share in smartphones and build a bigger reach for its consumer electronics, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). The publication, citing LG Global Marketing Officer Ki Wan Kim, said the company plans to grow the number of LG-branded shops by as much as 20 percent above the current level of more than 3,000 stores. … Read more

Head of unofficial Apple retail labor union departs

Less than two years after founding the beginnings of a union for Apple retail employees, its leader is leaving the company.

Cory Moll, who has been with Apple since 2007 and founded the Apple Retail Workers Union, is leaving his job by his own choice. He announced the news on Twitter tonight:

Tomorrow will be my last day at Apple.

— Cory Moll (@CoryMoll) April 9, 2013

"I feel that the time has come to go explore the world, discover new opportunities and learn new skills," Moll said in an e-mail. His last day is tomorrow, where he'll … Read more

Former Apple retail boss Ron Johnson out at J.C. Penney

Ron Johnson, J.C. Penney's chief executive and former Apple retail chief, is out at the clothing retail giant, CNBC reports.

Johnson joined J.C. Penney in November 2011, after spending more than a decade at Apple, building and growing its retail empire.

That success did not equate at Penney's, where Johnson attempted to run the more than 1,100-store company as what he referred to as "a startup." That initially included getting rid of sales events, in place of fixed pricing. Johnson also tried to add high-tech features to the store, like free Wi-Fi and … Read more

The strange and inglorious history of tech boutique retailers

Last year, nearly as many people visited Apple's retail stores as went to Disneyland parks. That's something to marvel considering Disney has been in the amusement park business since 1955, and Apple's gadget stores are barely 12 years old. Apple's stores are also light on the cotton candy, fireworks, and bathrooms.

While there are plenty more differences between the two, one major similarity is that both companies have relied on these institutions as the ideal experience for interacting with their products.

In that same vein comes Samsung's latest foray into the retail business. Today, the company announced plans … Read more

What men really want: the choice of six engagement rings

I am told that buying an engagement ring is even more stressful than mustering the gumption to propose.

Choosing the right ring is an expression of who you are and what you feel. It can leave you a wreck, feeling like you should check into a halfway house for spiritual guidance.

An enterprising online jewelry brand called Ocappi would like to give you a chance of survival, an opportunity to finally impress your lover beyond standing next to her at a party and grinning like a stuffed fish.

Ocappi will send six rings of your choice to your home, so … Read more

Shopping is therapy, say more than half Americans

A decent shrink costs at least $100 an hour.

A decent pair of shoes can cost you the same and they last a lot longer. They understand you better too.

Surely, therefore, we shouldn't be surprised that more than half of all Americans admit that if they want to feel better, shopping is their chosen Xanax.

With just a click or two, you can be clicking your heels and forgetting the awful lover who told you that this was surely forever before becoming surly last night.

I have on my screen the results of a survey performed by TNS … Read more